Wrench.



c. H. MBKEBL, JB.

WRBNGH.

V APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1911.

Patented Jan. 16, 1912.

WW i M CHARLES H. MEKEEL, JR., OF ST. LOUIS COUNTY, MISSOURI.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led. May 23, 1911.

Serial No. 628,908.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. MEKEEL, .I r., a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in St. Louis county, Missouri, have invented a certainnew and useful Improvement in lVrenches, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to wrenches, and

particularly to quick-*adjusting sliding jaw wrenches of the type inwhich movement of the sliding jaw is effected by means of a shaftprovided with oppositely disposed screw-threads which cooperate with thesliding jaw and with an operating sleeve or nut that is adapted to bemoved longitudinally of the shaft to rotate same and thus actuate thesliding jaw.

One object of my invention is to provide a wrench of the type referredto which is as compact and as convenient to handle as an ordinary Goeswrench.

Another object is to provide a quick-adjusting sliding jaw wrench whichis so designed that the operating nut or sleeve can be movedlongitudinally of the screwthreaded shaft in one direction withoutactuating the sliding jaw, thereby permitting the use of a comparativelyshort shaft and handle on a wrench in which the sliding jaw has arelatively great degree of movement.

Another object is to provide a wrench of the type referred to in whichthe handle forms a housing for the screw-threaded shaft and also acts asa guide for the nut or sleeve that imparts rotary movement to saidshaft. And still another object is to provide a compact wrench of simpleconstruction which can be manufactured ata low cost.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevational view of a wrenchconstruced in accordance with my invention; Figs. 2 and 3 are crosssectional views taken on the lines 2-2 and 3 3, respectively, of Fig. 1;Fig. 4f is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.1; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the operating sleeve or member whichI prefer to use for imparting rotary movement to the shaft that actuatesthe sliding jaw; and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of an operating sleeveof slightly different construction.

Referring to the drawings vwhich illustrate the preferred form of myinvention, 1 designates a rigid or stationary jaw which is permanentlyconnected to the upper end of a shank 2 on which the sliding jaw 3 isreciprocatingly mounted, the upper portion of said shank on which thejaw 3 is mounted being of non-circular shape in cross section, as shownin Fig. 2, so that the jaw 3 cannot turn thereon; and the lower portionof the shank being so shaped that it will form a handle. The shank 2 isprovided on one side with a longitudinally extending groove f1 in whicha shaft A is arranged, said shaft passing through the movable jaw 3 andbeing provided with two oppositely disposed screw-threads 5 and 6. Thescrew-thread 5 on said shaft cooperates with a screwthread 5a on the jaw3 and the screw-thread 6 cooperates with a thread 6aL on an0peratingmeinber or sleeve B that is slidingly mounted on the handleportion of the shank 2. The pitch of the thread 6 is greater than thepitch of the thread 5, and in the construction herein shown, the thread6 is lformed by a spiral groove on the shaft A which receives aninclined rib or projection 6a on the operating member B.

In the preferred form of my invention, shown in Figs. l to 5, the threador rib 6 on the operating member B, which coperates with the thread 6 onthe shaft A, is carried by a nut 7, and means is provided for lockingsaid nut to the operating member B so as to prevent it from turning whenthe operating member is moved longitudinally of the handle of thewrench. The operating member B comprises a sleeve 8 which extends aroundthe handle portion of the shank 2, a cage provided with end plates 9that prevents the nut 7 from moving longitudinally relatively to thesleeve 8 and a pawl 10 pivotally mounted on the sleeve 8 and providedwith a tooth 10a that coperates with notches 11 in the nut 7 so as tolock said nutmand thus prevent it from rotating relatively to the sleeve8, a Hat leaf spring 12 being provided for holding the tooth on saidpawl 1() in engagement with the nut 7 The pawl 10 is pivotally mount-yed on lugs or wings 8a on the sleeve 8 which project into the channel orgroove 4 of the shank 2, as shown in Fig. 3, and t-he cage which retainsthe nut 7 in operative position with relation to the sleeve 8, isprovided with a web 13 which connects the two end ,plates 9 of/said cagetogether, as shown in Patented Jan. 16,1912.

Fig. 5, the spring 12 which exert-s pressure on the pawl 10 beingsecured to the inner side of said web 13, as shown in Fig. 4.

In assembling the wrench, the jaw 3 is first mounted on theV shank 2,and the shaft A is thereafter Screwed into said jaw, the upper end ofsaid shaft being seated in a bearing formed in the rigid j aw 1, asshown in Fig. 1. The various parts of the operating member B are thenassembled, and said member is thereafter slipped onto the handle portionof the shank 2, the lower portion of the' shaft A' in which thescrewthread 6 is formed passing through the nut 7 of the operatingmember. Finally, the end cap 14 is secured to the lower end of thehandle portion of the shank 2 by means of screws 15 or other suitablefastening devices. said cap pla-te being provided with a bearing inwhich the lower end of the shaft A is journaled, as shown in Fig. 1. Noseparate fastening devices are required to secure the sleeve 8 to thecage which contines the nut 7 in position for the end plates 9 of saidcageare prevented from moving relatively to said sleeve by means of thehandle portion of the shank 2 which passes through the substantiallyU-shaped slots 16 in said end plates, the web 13 of said cage extendingover the pawl 10, as shown in Fig. 4f., and thus confining said pawl inposition. On the lower end of the pawl 10 is a lug or finger-piece 10bwhich the operator presses so as to move the tooth 10a on the pawl outof engagement with the nut 7.

To open the jaw 3, the operator moves the member B upwardly on thehandle portion of the shank 2, the rib 6a on the nut 7 cooperating withthe thread 6 of the shaft A to impart rotary movement to the shaft andthus cause the jaw 3 to move away from the rigid jaw 1. If it is desiredto open the jaw 3 to its full capacity, the operator presses the lug orfinger-piece 10b on the pawl 10 so as to move the tooth 10a on said pawlout of engagement with the nut 7 and then moves the operating member Bdownwardly on the handle portion of the shank 2, the nut 7 rotatingrelatively to the sleeve 8 and thus permitting the shaft A to remain atrest. Vhen the operating member B reaches the end of its downward strokethe pawl 10 is released so that it can rengage the nut 7 and lock sameand thus cause the shaft A to rotate when the operating member B isagain moved upwardly.

@To close the jaw 3, the operator merely moves the member B downwardlyon the handle without releasing the nut 7 or moving the pawl 10 out ofengagement with said nut, the tooth 6EL on the nut 7 cooperating withthe thread 6 to rotate the shaft A in the opposite direction to that inwhich it rotated on the upward stroke of the operating member B, itbeing, of course, understood that a plurality of downward strokes of theoperating member B are required to close the j aw 3 when said jaw iscompletely open. If only a slight movement of the jaw 3 is desired theoperating 4member B is merely moved upwardly on the handle to open thejaw and downwardly on the handle to close same.

A wrench of the construction above described is as compact and asconvenient to handle as an ordinary Cees wrench because the aw-actuatingshaft A is completely incased in the handle of the wrench which is soproportioned that it can be grasped easily by the operator. Anotherdesirable feature of such a construction is that the wrench can beprovided with a comparatively short handle and operating shaft even whenthe jaw 3 has a relatively great degree of movement, this being due tothe fact that the operating sleeve can be moved longitudinally of theshaft A in either direction without imparting rotary movement to saidshaft.

The wrench comprises only a few parts of simple construction which canbe manufactured cheaply and assembled easily and therefore the wrenchcan be produced at a low cost.

IVhile I prefer to construct the operating member B in the mannerabove-described` namely, provide said member with a movable nut 7 andmeans for locking said nut, still said operating member could beconstructed in the manner shown in Fig. 6, wherein the part 27 thatcarries the rib or projection 26a, is formed integral with orpermanently connected to the sleeve 2S. Such a construction, of course,is more simple and less expensive to manufacture but it is not asdesirable as the construction shown in Fig. 5 because it wouldnecessitate a comparatively long handle and operating shaft in a wrenchin which the movable jaw had a relatively great degree of movement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a fixed jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft provided with oppositely disposed screwthreads, one ofwhich coperates with a thread on said movable jaw, an operating memberslidingly mounted on said shank and comprising a nut that coperates withthe other screw-thread on said shaft, and means for locking said nut andoperating member together.

2. A wrench consisting of a shank provided with a rigid jaw and amovable` jaw, a shaft provided with oppositely disposed screw-threads,one of which coperateswith a thread on said movable aw, an operatingmember reciprocatingly mounted on said shank and provided with a devicethat c0- operates with the other screw-thread on said shaft to impartrotary movement to said shaft when said operating member is movedlongitudinally of the shank, and means whereby said shaft may remain atrest when said operating member is actuated.

3. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movableaw, a shaft provided with oppositely disposed screwthreads, one of whichcooperates with a thread on said movable jaw, an operating memberslidingly mounted on said shank and cooperating with the other thread onsaid shaft, and a manually-operated device for preventing said nut fromturning relatively to said operating member.

f1. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft provided with oppositely disposed screwthreads, one ofwhich cooperates with a thread on said movable jaw, an operating memberslidingly mounted on said shank and cooperating with the other thread onsaid shaft, and a locking device carried by said operating member andadapted to engage said nut so as to prevent it from rotating relativelyto said member.

5. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movable jaw, a shaft having a screw-thread which cooperates with a thread on saidmovable jaw, an oppositely disposed screw-thread on said shaft ofgreater pitch than the thread first referred to, and an operating memberslidingly mounted on said shank and provided with means under control ofthe operator for causing said shaft either to rotate or remain at restwhen said operating member is moved longitudinally of the shank.

6. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid j aw and a movablejaw, a shaft arranged in a recess or channel formed in said shank andprovided with oppositely disposed screw-threads, one of which cooperateswith a thread on said movable j aw, and a reciprocating operating memberslidingly mounted on said shank and provided with a device thatcooperates with the other thread on said shaft and imparts rotarymovement to said shaft when said member is moved in one direction or theother.

7. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft arranged in a longitudinally extending recess or channelforned in one side of said shank, oppositely disposed screw-threads onsaid shaft, one of which cooperates with a screw-thread on said movablejaw, an operating member slidingly mounted on said shaft'and providedwith a portion that projects into the channel in said shank, saidportion having an opening through which vsaid shaft passes, and a toothin said opening which cooperates with the other screwthread on saidshaft.

8. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, the lower portion of said shank constituting the handle of thewrench, an operating shaft arranged in said shank and having its upperend journaled in said rigid jaw, a cap plate at the lower end of saidshank in which the lower end of said shaft is journaled, and anoperating member slidingly mounted on the handle portion of said shankand provided with a portion through which said shaft passes, saidportion being provided with a device that imparts rotary movement tosaid shaft when said member is moved longitudinally.

9. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft arranged in a recess or channel formed in said shank, anoperating member slidingly mounted on said shank, a nut on saidoperating member through which said shaft passes, and aspring-controlled pawl on said member for locking said nut and membertogether.

10. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft arranged in a recess or channel formed in said shank, asleeve extending around said shank, a nut arranged in said channel andmounted on said shaft, a device for preventing said nut from rotatingrelatively to said sleeve, and a cage which confines said nut and devicein operative position.

11. A wrench comprising a shank provided with a rigid jaw and a movablejaw, a shaft arranged in a recess 0r channel formed in one side of saidshank and having its upper end journaled in said rigid jaw, a cap plateat the lower end of said shank lin which the lower end of said shaft isjournaled, a sleeve extending around said shank, a nut mounted on saidshaft and arranged in said channel, a pivotally mounted pawl on saidsleeve which engages said nut and prevents it from rotating relativelyto said sleeve, and a cage slidingly mounted on said shank and providedwith portions which retain said pawl and nut in operative position withrelation to said sleeve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiiX my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses, this eleventh day of May 1911.

. CHARLES H. MEKEEL, JR.

Witnesses:

W'ELLS L. CHURCH, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe, Commissioner of latents,

Washington, I). C.

